Friday night was supposed to be a homecoming for University of Cincinnati running back Jerome Ford.
Ford, a Tampa, Florida, native, was supposed to lead the undefeated Bearcats (9-0, 5-0 American Athletic Conference) into his hometown to take on South Florida (2-7, 1-4) at Raymond James Stadium.
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The stadium, which is also home to the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers, is about 20 miles from Armwood High School, where Ford was one of the top all-purpose backs in the country in 2017.